Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-16

man brought the side-lights aft and fixes
/ them in their sockets. Then, after sec
ond trip for'ard, he returned, nursing tn
binnacle-lamp in his arm. 1t was Smitl
| who brought them, instead of the bo'sun
whose duty it is to look to the compass
| lights. Mr.. Bubble was too little of
| martinez to have troubled himself about s,
small an irregularity, had he not beer
irritated by the clumsiness of the man
efforts to adjust the lamps.
Where's the bo'sun?'' he shouted int,
Smiths ear, for the wind and sea wer,
| making great uproar. why hasnt
Dredge brought these lights himself
What does he mean by sending YOU with
'em?"
Still fumbling at lamp, Smith beloved
in reply, Dunno, STRIP
But there was a look in his face, sly and
glossy with rain, which gave the lie to hi.
words. Mr.. Bubble noticed the tell-tals
expression, but did not stop to give it 4
second thought. Taking the lamp from
Smiths laundering fingers, he dismissed
him, and fixed it in the pinnacle himself
At four bells the first mate relieved Mr.
Bubble, and the latter dived below to gel
his tea and snatch of sleep if possible
before it came his turn again for Mount
Misery (sea slang for the bridget~
his hands deep in the dog-eared pocket.
of his pea jacket, and his shoulders hoisted
wellup to his ears, Mr.. Marks paraded tc
and fro, humping his feet down to keer
the blood in them from stagnating. Every
now and then he peered ahead into the
stormy darkness, on the lookout for the
Shipwash Light, which was due to come
up some half-dozen points Of the starboard
bow. Every, now and then he stepped
aside to consult the compass, to satisfy
himself that the ship was being steered her
proper course. Once, as he stood staring
ahead across the tumbling black seas, the
door of the fo'e'sle was suddenly opened
and q shaft of light streamed out on the
deck for'ard. The figures of two men
came out darkly against the bright back
ground for 4 moment, and they were lost
in the night again. AS far as Mr. Marks
could make out, there seemed TO be some
unusual commotion in the fo'c'sle. He
changed his position, and went over
towards the spot where Duckworth stood,
shifting his quid and the spokes of the
wheel.
Anything wrong for ard, Duckworth ~
shouted Mr.. Marks tentatively. Are
they quarreling, O. you think ?"
The man glanced down at the distant
open door of the starboard fo'c'sle where
the seamen were quartered, and put the
wheel over some halt-dozen spokes before
replying, which he did without looking up
at the mate: Il don't know as they are,
sir. Maybe it's the bosun as is took bad
again and frightenin' of EN-"
"The bo'sun?" beloved Mr.. Marks.
"Why, what's the matter with the bosun ?''
81 dunno, sir" shouted Duckworth sto-
Idly Winding bis business at the wheel.
" He was took bad this afternoon-in his
'ead-and said as how he 'eard voices a-call-
ing of him; and some Of the boys fined
in, and said as how they card EN- too, a
calm of the bo'sun; and he turned in at
eight bells and jammed his cad under the
pIler to shet out the voices, and wouldn't
turn out again for no one" Only frag-
ments of Dukworth's narrative reached
Mr.. Marks's ears, for the storm was terrific.
Voices ?" shouted Mr.. Marks interrog-
atively, "What d'you meanr'
Before Duckworth could shift his quid
to reply, head and pair of shoulders APP
peared above the ladder and stopped, not
daring to trespass on the privacy of the
bridge. The mate went over to see what
the man wanted. 1t was the Irish sailor
and his jolly red round face was wet with
rain and white with fear lie was dressed
only in trousers and shirt, and the latter
was unbuttoned and tapping in the wind
"What do you want here?' shouted Mr.
Marks savagelv, irritated bys these irregu
larities. And what are you men up tc
in the fo'c'sle? DO you want to get your.
selves reported 20 the cap'n?'
CAV We phase, sorr," shouted the Irish.
man huskily, g the boys asked me to come
and tell We there's sperrits aboard, and the
bo'sun's clane gone mad"
The mate caught the word sperrits,'
and jumped to the conclusion that the men
had struggled some liquor on board and
were drinking themselves crazy. "Spir-
its ?" he roared back (Which one ofwou
! has got emp
The man shook his head. Its not them
| sperrits, sorr, worse luck-it's voices; ailC
the bo'sun's clane gone mad. For the love
av heaven, Mr.. Marks, come forard anG
spake werd to the boys"
Telling Duckworth to keep sharp look
ont ahead while he was away, the mate
ran quickly down the deck, with Grady al
his heels. 1t needed good pair Of sea
legs to avoid being wrecked against the
| hatchways or capsized into the scuppers
| They had almost reached the fo'c'sle wher
suddenly the mate felt his arm grabbed by
! the Irishman, and, turning on him, saw
| Grady's face ablaze with excitement. "DiC
I've hear that, SOFT ?" cried the man. alt.
them sperrits again! There, sorr, JUS
listen to that"
If Mr.. Marks hearing had been as keer
as his sight he might have been more i'm
| pressed with the cry, wild with seeming
agony and faint with distance, which pen
| etrated even the roaring of the wind anC
ceaseless thunder of the sea. But MI.
Marks hearing had been damaged by par
tial drowning off the coast of Spain, and
though he listened intently, he heard nc
voices except those of the ocean and the
air, Naturally concluding that Grady wa.
| drunk, he laid hold of the man by hi,
| beard and shirt collqr, and, shaking hin
savagely, flung him down, aided by lee
ward roll of the ship, under the wheels O
| the donkey engine, and almost toppled af
ter his victim himself In no palaverine
mood, he went on to the fo'c'sle and stepped
| inside. 1t was very evident that thcr,
was something wrong with the crew. The
men were huddled together by the stove
some i'll steaming oilskins, some only il
shirts and trowsers, all looking scared ant
all silent. In the middle of the place
Dredge, the bo'sun stood, half clothed
with n queer wild expression on hi.
gnarled face, listening hard for something
or other. The eyes of the men were al
fixed on him. As. Mr.. Marks stepped il
out of the wind and rain, the bo'sur
shouted hoafsely, clark, lads! He,
calm Of me again! RS hints Bill p
This time the mate heard the CRY, OF
thought he heard it, for il was very dis
| tant, and was carried away again in the
thunder of the gale But he elbowed the
idea aside roughly; it was so impossible
for any human being afloat on such sea
to make himself heard above the roar o.
the storm. whats all this ton,foolery
about p he demanded of the men, angrily
And what's the matter with you, bo'sun !
You ought TO be ashamed of yourself, play.
ing the fool in this way. Bo'sunr'
But the. bo'sun heard nothing of the
reprimand. He was eagerly listening for
the recurrence Of that cry; his fists were
clenched, and the veins on his throat stood
out like cords. And when that sound Of